Moviate will screen a new documentary Thursday, profiling the band Low and their decades-long relationship with director Phillip Harder.

"The angle of this film is different than most documentaries on bands," explained Moviate's Caleb Smith. "Usually it's a timeline of when the band started, mixed with random fan videos over a certain amount of time, but this film concentrates on their friend, collaborator, filmmaking partner who was with them since the beginning. I think that a focus on his footage and what he has documented will make it seem more intimate and compelling, as well as artistically beautiful since he was shooting this footage for a reason and as a filmmaker."

Moviate was hoping to screen the film at this year's ArtsFest Film Festival back in May, but it wasn't yet available.

"We are excited to show it as it's getting its first run of screenings," Smith said.

Back in 1993, when Low was getting ready to release its debut record, Harder and the band trudged onto frozen Lake Superior in minus-30 windchill and made a music video, filmed on 16mm film. I asked Smith if filming music videos on 16mm was/is unusual.

"Shooting music videos on 16mm was actually very common for many years, especially in the 90's when many music videos were still made on film," Smith explained. "As video resolution became bigger and high definition started to take over, many videos were and still are produced as HD video. But, for those who want the texture and depth associated with film, 16mm is still a viable option and is still used for some music video projects. It's cheaper than shooting 35mm, and more image resolution than Super-8, so it's a good middle ground for shooting film."

Smith explained that 16mm and Super-8mm film cameras are still widely used by independent filmmakers, and for good reason.

"It gives a warmer and more tactile feel to the image, which separates it from the newer crisper digital video images that we are now used to," Smith said. "This use of film can really set apart the music video, which is usually what a musician wants."